A linear energy harvesting device that includes a housing and a piston that moves at least partially through the housing when it is compressed or extended from a rest position. When the piston moves, hydraulic fluid is pressurized and drives a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor drives an electric generator that produces electricity. Both the motor and generator are central to the device housing. Exemplary configurations are disclosed such as monotube, twin-tube, tri-tube and rotary based designs that each incorporates an integrated energy harvesting apparatus. By varying the electrical characteristics on an internal generator, the kinematic characteristics of the energy harvesting apparatus can be dynamically altered. In another mode, the apparatus can be used as an actuator to create linear movement. Applications include vehicle suspension systems (to act as the primary damper component), railcar bogie dampers, or industrial applications such as machinery dampers and wave energy harvesters, and electro-hydraulic actuators.

A linear energy harvesting device that includes a housing and a piston that moves at least partially through the housing when it is compressed or extended from a rest position. When the piston moves, hydraulic fluid is pressurized and drives a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor drives an electric generator that produces electricity. Both the motor and generator are central to the device housing. Exemplary configurations are disclosed such as monotube, twin-tube, tri-tube and rotary based designs that each incorporates an integrated energy harvesting apparatus. By varying the electrical characteristics on an internal generator, the kinematic characteristics of the energy harvesting apparatus can be dynamically altered. In another mode, the apparatus can be used as an actuator to create linear movement. Applications include vehicle suspension systems (to act as the primary damper component), railcar bogie dampers, or industrial applications such as machinery dampers and wave energy harvesters, and electro-hydraulic actuators.

A renewable energy and waste heat harvesting system is disclosed. The system includes an accumulator unit having a high pressure accumulator and a low pressure accumulator. At least one piston is mounted for reciprocation in the high pressure accumulator. The accumulator unit is configured to receive, store, and transfer energy from the hydraulic fluid to the energy storage media. The system collects energy from a renewable energy source and transfers the collected energy using the pressurized hydraulic fluid. The system further includes one or more rotational directional control valves, in which at least one rotational directional control valve is positioned on each side of the accumulator unit. Each rotational directional control valve includes multiple ports. The system also includes one or more variable displacement hydraulic rotational units. At least one variable displacement hydraulic rotational unit is positioned adjacent each of the rotational directional control valves.

A generator is described comprising in particular a vertical supply column that can be filled with a certain quantity of liquid, an intake valve disposed at a base of the vertical supply column, and a leaktight tank communicating with the vertical supply column via the intake valve, which leaktight tank can be filled with liquid. The generator also comprises an exhaust valve disposed on the leaktight tank and capable of releasing pressure generated in the leaktight tank, and a piston-forming device disposed inside the leaktight tank so as to be immersed in the liquid contained in the leaktight tank. This piston-forming device is capable of being set in reciprocating movement between an upper position and a lower position, the piston-forming device comprising a first, float-forming portion capable of bringing the piston-forming device into the upper position and a second portion forming an output shaft. The generator further comprises a converter device coupled to the output shaft, which converter device is capable of converting the reciprocating movement of the piston-forming device into mechanical or electrical energy. The generator is configured in such a way that, in operation, the leaktight tank is filled with liquid, and in such a way as to repeat a sequence of operating phases in order to induce the reciprocating movement of the piston-forming device.

A generator is described comprising in particular a vertical supply column that can be filled with a certain quantity of liquid, an intake valve disposed at a base of the vertical supply column, and a leaktight tank communicating with the vertical supply column via the intake valve, which leaktight tank can be filled with liquid. The generator also comprises an exhaust valve disposed on the leaktight tank and capable of releasing pressure generated in the leaktight tank, and a piston-forming device disposed inside the leaktight tank so as to be immersed in the liquid contained in the leaktight tank. This piston-forming device is capable of being set in reciprocating movement between an upper position and a lower position, the piston-forming device comprising a first, float-forming portion capable of bringing the piston-forming device into the upper position and a second portion forming an output shaft. The generator further comprises a converter device coupled to the output shaft, which converter device is capable of converting the reciprocating movement of the piston-forming device into mechanical or electrical energy. The generator is configured in such a way that, in operation, the leaktight tank is filled with liquid, and in such a way as to repeat a sequence of operating phases in order to induce the reciprocating movement of the piston-forming device.

A hydrostatic travel drive includes a hydraulic pump for the purpose of supplying pressure medium to a hydraulic motor of the travel drive that can be coupled to an output, which pump can be coupled to a drive machine. The hydraulic pump has an actuating cylinder with at least one cylinder chamber and a swept volume which can be adjusted via the actuating cylinder, and at least one electrically activatable pressure valve via which the cylinder chamber can be charged with an adjustingly active actuating pressure. The travel drive further includes device via which a pressure of the hydraulic pump can be limited by means of influencing the actuating pressure.

This disclosure generally relates to an automatic bicycle, particularly to a hydraulic automatic transmission bicycle which can automatically and adaptively change gear ratios. More particularly, this disclosure relates to those hydraulic automatic transmission bicycles which use fluid pressure to change such gear ratios, and which include various hydraulic automatic transmissions which may be provided in various configurations and may operate in various methods and sequences to provide automatic and infinitely variable gear ratios.

An injection moulding system, water jet cutting machine or other industrial system has a synthetically controlled variable displacement fluid working machine which outputs hydraulic fluid to one or more fluid consumers, such as rams or hydraulic motors, through hydraulically stiff fluid retaining volumes and receives hydraulic fluid back from one or more fluid consumers through the same or other said hydraulically stiff fluid retaining volumes. Individual piston cylinder assemblies can be allocated to different outputs. There may be no valve between the machine and the consumers. A working chamber of the machine can be caused to undergo a motoring cycle to enable the machine to output more power than is received from a motor driving the machine. An accumulator can be used to provide a source of hydraulic compliance. The machine can be controlled using pressure control, flow control, feed forward control or variable power/variable power limit control.

A booster device for a hydraulic circuit comprising a high-pressure circuit (12) and a low-pressure circuit (16) connected to a system generating the high pressure and to receivers, said booster device maintaining a minimum pressure in the low-pressure part, characterized in that it comprises a hydraulic motor (30) of which the inlet is connected to the high-pressure circuit (12) and the outlet to the low-pressure circuit (16), which drives a booster pump (20) sucking the fluid from a reservoir (24), in order to discharge it into this low-pressure circuit.

A booster device for a hydraulic circuit comprising a high-pressure circuit (12) and a low-pressure circuit (16) connected to a system generating the high pressure and to receivers, said booster device maintaining a minimum pressure in the low-pressure part, characterized in that it comprises a hydraulic motor (30) of which the inlet is connected to the high-pressure circuit (12) and the outlet to the low-pressure circuit (16), which drives a booster pump (20) sucking the fluid from a reservoir (24), in order to discharge it into this low-pressure circuit.